Bittersweet Web
by cw-4eva
Summary: At Kazuma's dojo, Tohru meets what could be her only living relative for the first time, and who also happens to be Master Kazuma's new girlfriend. But, as further secrets are revealed, will Kyo be able to protect Tohru from a dark truth?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: As one of my friends kindly noted, this chapter is really very short, and much too short for a proper chapter, so I like to think of this as a introduction kind of. :P**

**Chapter 1: A Trip to the Master**

"Are you done yet?" Kyo yelled impatiently from outside Tohru's door.

"Yep… I'm nearly done… sorry Kyo! You can come in though if you like!"

"Ah…ok."

To tell the truth, Kyo had never been inside a girl's room before, and so he was kind of curious. He opened the door, and was hit by a revoltingly sweet smell.

"Oh hey Kyo!" Tohru said brightly, "I'm just doing a bit of room-cleaning!"

"Ah… huh…" Kyo suppressed the urge to block his nose and gag. He spied a hot pink can of air freshener sitting on Tohru's empty desk.

"Lovers' Web," he read off the label, trying to hide a grimace at the bittersweet fragrance wafting around the room.

"Oh yeah," Tohru looked up, "Er… Shigure gave me that."

Kyo arched an eyebrow. She blushed, "It's nothing."

"Well," he stretched and made for the door, "Are you ready yet?"

"Ah! Yes, I am!" Tohru quickly followed Kyo out into the corridor.

"Geez, that stuff really stinks!" Kyo made a point of commenting once he was able to breathe properly again.

"Oh? You're going somewhere?" Shigure poked his head out from behind his newspaper. Kyo made impatient growling noises in his chest.

"Ah…I, er… we were just… Master's dojo…" Tohru tried to explain.

"On a _date_, are we?" Shigure winked knowingly at Tohru, who blushed unnecessarily.

"Whaaa---! I never said…" Kyo blundered in exasperation. Shigure gave a chuckle. Kyo sighed and pulled Tohru out through the door after him.

"That creep," Kyo muttered more to himself than to Tohru, and they began walking. Kyo seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.

"Are… are you worried about Master Kazuma?" Tohru asked hesitantly. He turned to look at her questioningly. "Well, you seem kind of pre-occupied… and I heard that Master Kazuma just got a girlfriend…"

"Oh… yeah, that."

"But that's great! You'll have a mom!"

"Yeah… I guess. Beats having Death Ray girl for a mother. Not that the new girlfriend and Master are getting hitched or anything…"

"Anyway, you know Master. He won't do anything with his life unless it makes you happy too…"

"I wouldn't be too sure about that… how about his haircut?" Kyo replied darkly as they reached the gate of Master's dojo.

**AN: Please R/R. I know this chapter's really short and really boring, but pls stick around… it's gonna get more interesting after this…! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: A Man's Promise**

**AN: Heh, this chapter's a long one. Enjoy:P**

Kyo and Tohru stepped into Master Kazuma's house. Tohru thought she knew why Kyo preferred it here. It felt like home…kind of like Kyoko and Tohru's old home. Kyo paused, and looked left to right before stepping into the corridor. Then he raised his head and sniffed.

"Doesn't seem like he's burnt anything this time," Kyo commented with relief. Tohru silently agreed, and followed Kyo. They could hear soft chatter in the tea room.

"Master?" Kyo called out, "We're here." He slid open the door.

Master Kazuma and an unfamiliar woman, his girlfriend no doubt, were seated in plush coffee armchairs.

"Ah, Kyo," Master looked up in surprise and smiled, "And Miss Tohru." The woman sat up a little straighter. Tohru gave a small bow. "How do you do! I'm Tohru… Tohru Honda."

"Ah, hello Tohru," the woman smiled at her. She had short brown hair and a soft, cultured voice. "My name's Masuda. I'm very well thanks."

"Please, sit down," Master Kazuma offered, gesturing to the chairs. He smiled at Kyo's look. "Masuda's choice of colours, of course."

"Such uncanny resemblances…" Miss Masuda meanwhile, was murmuring. She looked up at Tohru's blank look.

"Ah," she murmured, "Maybe I should introduce myself properly. I am… Masuda _Honda_."

Two collective gasps rang out at the end of her sentence, while Kazuma just nodded knowingly. Masuda Honda smiled at Tohru's confused look.

"You won't have heard of me much though… maybe once or twice from your father…" Masuda tipped her head to look at Tohru in the eye. "You see, my dear Tohru, I am your father's sister."

"I'm sorry?"

"I'm Katsuya's younger sister, Masuda Honda."

"Oh… oh… I have… an aunt?!?"

"Two actually. But I'll talk about that later. The most important thing right now… is to tell you some things of importance."

"Oh…"

Kyo gently nudged Tohru into a seat. Masuda turned to Kazuma with a smile, "Darling, the lunch."

"Ah, yes," Kazuma got up from his seat hastily, and winked at Kyo. The three sat in silence until Kazuma entered the room once more, balancing on a tray some homemade snacks.

"As you can see," Kazuma said jokingly, flourishing the tray's contents, "My culinary skills have improved since a woman came into my life."

Masuda smiled benignly while Kyo gave a tiny snort.

"So how have you been Tohru, all this time?"

"Oh! Fine I've been! Really good! And it's all thanks to the Sohmas who've taken me in so kindly!"

Kyo raised an eyebrow at this. He wasn't all sure Shigure's motives had been purely sincere.

"Because… if you're not happy, because I'm your closest living relative… you could always come live with me." Masuda suggested hesitantly.

"Oh, no! I'm real happy! Truly I am! I'm so grateful that so many people care about me! I'm truly touched…"

"Well, if you're sure…" Masuda continued doubtfully.

"But we have more important things to discuss… How's your school life? And how's living in a house full of men? I hope they haven't been working you too hard…"

"Oh, no! Not at all! I'm fine, really. Please don't worry about me! This is the right place for me!"

"Well… alright. Now, you'll probably be wondering why I'm choosing to see a niece for the first time in her life… You see, not only am I your aunt, I'm also your"

Kazuma gave a tiny cough and they exchanged a glance.

"Wait…" Masuda continued, "Why don't you two just pop along to some shops while Kazuma and I _discuss something._"

"Yes," Kazuma spoke up, "Perhaps a little something to congratulate Kyo on the karate contest."

"But I have no money!" Kyo protested.

"Don't worry, I still have some from my wages," Tohru beamed at him.

"No! You already need cash as it is. We'll just shop around." Kyo was quick to respond.

Kazuma and Masuda exchanged looks, each trying hard not to grin.

"Ah, oh…ok…" Tohru agreed.

Kyo shot one last confused look at Kazuma, whose face revealed nothing.

"C'mon," he muttered to Tohru, and pulled her out of the room.

"So… that was a little weird," Kyo commented once they were on the streets.

"Totally… it's not everyday you discover you actually have a living relative…"

**AN: In this story, Tohru has no knowledge of her grandfather or extended family. **

"Must be exciting, huh…" Kyo looked at her sideways.

"Well, yeah… I mean, think of it. Someone who knew my father really well! And perhaps the only other person (apart from Uo and Hana) who was so close to my mother!"

Kyo was silent.

"Kyo, do you think… do you think there might be other members of my family I don't know about?"

He shrugged, "Probably."

"Wow! A real family! Of course, my family wouldn't be nearly as interesting as yours…"

"Hmm…"

"I wonder what it is she wants to tell me." Tohru pondered aloud.

Kyo smiled down at her.

"And what's this? Oh my, another is with the princess!!!" a light and cheery voice greeted the pair around the corner.

"Aah… Ayame! You"

"Eh? Hello Ayame!" (Tohru bows, of course)

"Why, fancy seeing _you two _here! No Yuki, either… Strange… real strange…"

"Shut it, you snake. Just shut it. And did Shigure send you to spy on us or something?"

"Shigure? No, of course not… Although… aren't you two _supposed _to be at Kazuma's? Ayame insinuated innocently, "Or are _you two _just _sneaking _off somewhere else…? Eek!"

Kyo had shoved his fist perilously close to Ayame's nose. "You'll stop that nonsense if you wanna keep your pretty face, you girly man!"

"Alright, alright," Ayame backed away, "But then again, you wouldn't want Miss Tohru seeing that not-so-charming side of you now would you?" Ayame flashed a devilish grin.

"Why, you…" Kyo growled.

"Oh, and I think Kagura's on the rampage!" Ayame tossed his hair back as he strode away, and waved goodbye at them flamboyantly.

"Let's just go back now," Kyo muttered, yanking her arm forward.

"Oh… ok," Tohru said, as always amused how easily Kyo could be annoyed.

"Well, you have proper family now," Kyo said.

"Hmm."

"You could even go live with her if you liked."

Tohru's head snapped up, "Kyo! Don't be silly! I like living with you guys… (Not to mention you need me) and besides, live with her? Wouldn't that mean living at Master Kazuma's place?"

Kyo grinned, "Oh yeah. Anyhow, I won't let anyone lay a hand on you." He patted her on the head.

"Are you sure she's safe at the Sohma side residence?" Masuda Honda frowned over sips of tea.

"What do you mean by that?"…. 

"Just relax," Kyo told her, "And whatever it is, don't let it shock you too much."

"Just relax," Tohru repeated hesitantly, "That's right… I mean, it's just a secret, right? No big deal. Not at all…" it sounded as though she was trying to convince herself. Kyo looked away. If her family's secrets were anything like the Sohmas', then she _did _have reason to be anxious.

"I mean, what more is there about my parents that I don't know? Will it change the way I see them? They're honestly great, in my eyes…" she mused.

"Just get in there and show them that you're not afraid of discovering any secrets about your family. After all, they can't be as bad as mine, now can they?" Kyo urged her encouragingly, gently pushing her towards the door.

She smiled bleakly, "But Kyo… I _am _afraid," she whispered, and their eyes locked.

"Tohru? Is that you?" a voice called out from within the room. Their gaze was broken as Tohru replied, "Y-yes, I'm here." She darted one last furtive look at Kyo before sidling meekly into the room. He watched her go. So there you have it… so Tohru really was insecure when it came to herself, to her own family, her own life. How could Kyo ever hope to measure up? But perhaps… when Tohru was so busy worrying about others, it would be _his _job to worry about her.

Kyo paced outside the window anxiously. There was a particular spot near the huge rock in Master's garden where her had a clear view of the back of Tohru's head. He took a step backwards.

"Oh Kyo!"

Kyo spun around so quickly his body was a blur, only to find a pair of small yet strong arms envelope him in a crushing hug that squeezed the end out of his protesting "Whaaaa"

"Kagura! Argh!!!" Kyo freed himself from Kagura's arms of steel. She beamed up at him expectantly.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he yelled, on the verge of exploding.

"I-I… well, Shiggy told me you had come here, so I decided to drop by…" her triumphant grin wavered, then steadied again. "Aren't you supposed to be _in _the dojo with Master, instead of here?" she inquired sweetly.

"No, I- arghh! Will you just mind your own business!" Kyo turned on his heel and stormed off, leaving Kagura's smile to sour into a pout.

"Kyo! Kyo!" she called out to his retreating back, but he ignored her.

"KYO! You will come back here… NOW!!!"

"Argh… what, dammit?" he growled, turning around. Having Tohru see him all bashed up while she needed the most moral support was not top of the list for him right now.

"That's better…" she said sweetly, "Now seeing as you don't have anything to do, why don't you and I go for a little stroll?"

"Whaa—NO! I do have something to do! I mean, I _am _doing something! And it's important! Just go away, can't you!"

He regretted saying all that when Kagura's face creased up, and tears began streaming down her face.

"Kyo…" she sobbed, "You're so heartless and cruel… no girl but me would ever like you!"

"That's not true…" Kyo thought to himself, "Tohru doesn't seem to have a problem with me…"

The uncertainty must've shown on his face, because Kagura decided to take advantage and start crying even harder.

"Kyo… you're so mean…"

"Arghh! Alright alright! Just shut up already!" Kagura brightened up at a miraculous speed.

"Alright!" she cheered, "So… what do you want to do?"

"The queen of crocodile tears…" Kyo muttered to himself, "And I said, I'm busy!"

"Oh? So whatcha doing?"

…

"So… Kyo?" Kagura spoke in a sickly sweet voice that reminded Kyo of the Lovers' Web perfume/deodorant he had been forced to inhale in just hours earlier.

"What?"

"I was just wondering… (giggle) Kyo, are you going with anyone to the local community prom that's coming up? (Not that I would ever allow you to go with anyone else)"

"What?!? NO!!! (As if I would go to such a thing!!!)"

"Ah! Goody!" Kagura squealed, ignoring his last comment. "We'll go together! I've already made reservations for a special gown!"

"You Whaaat! And you did this before asking me to go with you?!? What makes you think I would even want to go with you anyway?!?"

"Well… I knew without a doubt that you'd agree…!"

"Arghh! And… wait a minute… does this mean I have to wear some kind of… tuxedo?" Kyo uttered the last few syllables of the sentence in a mixture of shock, horror and disgust.

"But of course!" Kagura giggled, "I think you'll look absolutely _gorgeous _with a tie on!"

Kyo heaved a huge sigh, but was in no mood to argue with her. Perhaps Shigure could get him out of this one…


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: One Truth**

**AN: Thanks for the review…**

Meanwhile, Tohru was still stuck in her ongoing battle of fear and curiosity. Kazuma looked up from his cup of tea as she entered the room. Tohru was met with kind smiles, and suddenly feeling shy, felt the urge to sit down. Masuda passed a fresh cup of tea to her niece. "You've never heard much of your family except through your mother, am I right?" she studied Tohru closely, who nodded.

"Yes, well," Masuda sighed, and reached into her handbag, "Have you seen this?" It was a photograph, in a photo frame. The glass in the frame had cracked, intentionally. Thrown perhaps, in anger and fury. It was split right down the middle, but the photo itself was still quite intact. An honest, intelligent face yet capable of humour stared out at Tohru.

"Your father," Masuda told her, "was quite a sombre man, delving into books and his study instead of messing around. He had never once brought a girl home, although he was the best-looking boy at school, and was kind and gentle. He told us he just hadn't found anyone right yet. When he graduated from school, Katsuya went on to train as a student teacher in a high school. Then one day, he came home with dried blood on his arm and scratches on his face. He told us he had been slightly bashed up by a girl gang when another girl, different from the others, found them and told them to stop. The girl then gave him a lift home on her motorbike. Later on, when he'd finished telling us his tale, he mentioned something about being eternally grateful to _The Red Butterfly_." Masuda smiled at the shock on Tohru's face.

"Kunimitsu?" Master Kazuma called out, and his apprentice entered the room, balancing more snacks on a tray. He winked at Tohru, who smiled back. She leaned forward eagerly in her armchair, wanting to hear more.

"Then after that fateful day," Masuda continued, "Something odd happened. My older brother changed. He seemed more out-going and cheerful than before. None of us knew what had happened, but we were sure that something or someone had brought out this miraculous change in him. Then one day, Katsuya brought her home. Kyoko Katsunuma, we were introduced to. 'The Red Butterfly,' he announced. My parents were delighted, of course. Their only son, with a girlfriend at last! Oh, your father had dates before, during his school years. But nothing steady. Nothing to ignite such a change in him. And certainly nothing special to bring someone home, for our parents' approval. We sisters took a liking to Kyoko at once. Funny, clever, once a saviour to dear Katsuya, we adored her almost as much as our brother. Kyoko-chan became another older sister to me. But then… one day, Yasaka, our older sister, decided to take a look at your mother's background. She was so protective of our brother… well, she discovered quite a lot. That Kyoko had only been a high school student from Katsuya's school, where he had been a student teacher. Whom he had been _teaching. _Well, my parents decided to overlook that, but when it became known that Kyoko was in a _gang_, they couldn't stand for that. What if she lead their precious son astray? My sister and parents' affections for Kyoko turned. Only Katsuya and I felt no difference when looking at Kyoko than before. Oh Yasaka… she was so quick to judge…" a hint of sadness crept into Masuda's voice, "Of course, when Katsuya announced to them their plans of marriage, they were furious. No, worse than furious. They were angry beyond fury. They threatened to disown him… Already angry that he had refused when they had expressly forbade him from seeing Kyoko, our parents just would not accept Kyoko into the family. Thus, Katsuya really was disowned by our parents." Masuda's eyes misted, then clouded over…

**# Flashback**

It was late. Then, voices could be heard outside the front door. Small laughter, something that was uncommon in their household these days. A muffled goodbye, then keys jangled in the lock and the door opened. Katsuya stepped inside as a dark figure departed quickly. Masuda hovered near the doorway, hoping to get a glance of Kyoko-chan. She hadn't seen her for so long… but their parents had forbade her from being seen in the company of That Girl. Masuda was now a first year at the high school Kyoko had graduated from. (First year Year 10 Australian standards)

Tonight, their brother seemed happier than he had for a long time. Seeing as they disagreed on one matter of concern, Katsuya and his parents now avoided touching on topics of intimacy. Since Katsuya had moved out, he only dropped by every week or so for a family dinner, and made small talk with his parents, keeping polite distance. Even to Yasaka, who adored her little brother, Katsuya seemed more and more distant, swept away by the outside world.

"Was that That Girl?" their mother inquired, and Masuda winced at her sharp tone.

"If you mean Kyoko, then yes," Katsuya replied, in the same manner. He brushed past Masuda and laid down his coat on a chair.

"Mother, father," he addressed his parents. Their father merely grunted, looking up briefly from his daily newspaper. Since they did not see eye-to-eye on a number of things, father and son chose to avoid each other where possible.

"I have chosen," Katsuya said, looking them square in the eye, "what to do with my life."

"Yes?" they asked quickly. Ever since becoming a med. student after the student teacher history, they had pressed upon their son the option of becoming a doctor and working at a renowned hospital.

"I am… going to marry Miss Kyoko," he looked around at them, not expecting congratulations or happiness, his face totally calm, merely announcing something he was going to do, with or without their approval and blessings.

"Just to let you know," he summed up the statement. He turned to leave, when-

"NO! No you don't!" his father leapt up.

Katsuya turned, his face still calm.

"I will not let you marry That Girl! I just won't!"

"We brought you up, Katsuya! We're your parents! We did not raise you to watch you exchange vows with that… that _biker _girl!"

"Just what do you hate so much about her, Mother?"

Their mother hesitated, and then chose to ignore her son's question. Her lower lip trembled.

"Even if… even if you will not yield to persuasion… we will NOT let you dishonour the family name by associating yourself with _her._"

"If you must really make that foolish decision to marry her… and I warn you- nothing good will come out of that relationship, nothing but trouble!- do not expect to see us at your wedding… in fact, do not expect to see us again." His father spoke quietly.

Katsuya took a last look around the room, took his coat, and then reached for the door.

"Oh, and Mother," he turned around again, "Just so you know, Kyoko has quit the gang."

His mother gave a sniff in response. The door closed.

Their father's face was set in stone. Their mother was in tears. "It's not his fault," Yasaka spoke quietly from behind Masuda's shoulder. She had been there the whole time. "It's the _vixen _that stole him away from us." Her voice was soft, yet so, so bitter.

But what Masuda didn't understand… was why she never even considered blaming their parents for driving Katsuya away.

For a whole month, the family did not hear from Katsuya. Then one day, the local librarian approached Masuda. "This is for you," she said, holding out an envelope. She thanked her and turned over the envelope. _Masuda Honda _was written in familiar handwriting. Her heart leapt. Tearing open the plain white envelope, a card was revealed. A wedding invitation. Masuda lifted it to her eyes warily, as a note fluttered out.

It read:

_My dear sister Masuda,_

_Although I realise I am putting you at risk of the unforgiving wrath of our parents through being in contact with you, and however much I do not wish to cause more conflict in our family, I simply must get to you. I can't expect our parents' forgiveness, and I am indeed saddened that for reasons they choose still to bear at heart, they are not willing to attend the wedding of Kyoko and I. You, being the last understanding member of our family, I have decided to invite. It will be a private wedding, nothing fancy or huge. Please meet us outside The Courtyard at 8pm, Monday 12th April. Please, as the last thing I as your brother ask of you, be there. _

_Be safe, now and always,_

_Katsuya Honda_

Masuda hugged the note to the chest. She simply must attend the wedding. Think of it- what could be her last chance to see her brother and freely speak to him… And how did he know she always hung out at the library these days? But of course, he was her big brother… she thought with a smile.

When Masuda got home, she discovered her mother bent over a newspaper, open to the Weddings & Ceremonies page, silently weeping, eyes ever scanning the page for her dear son's name.


End file.
